Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy)
(1) Background: Human–wildlife conflict can lead to adverse consequences for both parties, particularly in areas with a high concentration of wild ungulates. Ungulates cause frequent, severe plant damage by stripping the bark or browsing on the youngest plants. In the latter case, they damage vegeta...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | AgriEngineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-7402/7/1/20 |
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| author | Leonardo Conti Giulia Angeloni Piernicola Masella Caterina Sottili Ferdinando Corti Stefano Camiciottoli Veronica Racanelli Agnese Spadi Francesco Garbati Pegna Alessandro Parenti |
| author_facet | Leonardo Conti Giulia Angeloni Piernicola Masella Caterina Sottili Ferdinando Corti Stefano Camiciottoli Veronica Racanelli Agnese Spadi Francesco Garbati Pegna Alessandro Parenti |
| author_sort | Leonardo Conti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: Human–wildlife conflict can lead to adverse consequences for both parties, particularly in areas with a high concentration of wild ungulates. Ungulates cause frequent, severe plant damage by stripping the bark or browsing on the youngest plants. In the latter case, they damage vegetative sprouts and leaves, which can cause a delay in growth or the plant’s death. Tuscany is notable for its significant population of wild boar, which cause substantial damage to vineyards and cereal crops, costing farmers millions annually. In Tuscany, given the highly cultivated landscape of olive trees, damage has also been recorded in these plants. Balancing human and wildlife needs is crucial for minimizing damage and ensuring coexistence. (2) Methods: This study tested innovative electronic playback devices using long-range radio technology (LoRa) to deter wild ungulates and prevent crop damage. These devices use sounds and lights to induce wild animals to be afraid and thus run away from the cultivated plot to be protected. The experiment was conducted on a farm in Chianti, Tuscany, involving four plots of land planted with olive trees: in two test areas, four playback devices and four camera traps were installed, and in the two control areas, only camera traps were installed. Playback devices aimed to deter wild ungulates and camera traps aimed to test their effectiveness. Data from the camera traps were analyzed statistically and behaviorally. (3) Results: Playback devices significantly reduced wild animal activity in the equipped areas. Statistical analysis revealed that the use of acoustic–luminous deterrent devices (PDs) significantly reduced wildlife visits to the olive groves. (4) Conclusion: The study’s findings, supported by heatmaps and frequency analyses, provide insights into wildlife activity patterns and guide the development of targeted, effective wildlife management strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f8b0337f9c7947418761cd73b2b576f6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2624-7402 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AgriEngineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-f8b0337f9c7947418761cd73b2b576f62025-01-24T13:16:16ZengMDPI AGAgriEngineering2624-74022025-01-01712010.3390/agriengineering7010020Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy)Leonardo Conti0Giulia Angeloni1Piernicola Masella2Caterina Sottili3Ferdinando Corti4Stefano Camiciottoli5Veronica Racanelli6Agnese Spadi7Francesco Garbati Pegna8Alessandro Parenti9Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy(1) Background: Human–wildlife conflict can lead to adverse consequences for both parties, particularly in areas with a high concentration of wild ungulates. Ungulates cause frequent, severe plant damage by stripping the bark or browsing on the youngest plants. In the latter case, they damage vegetative sprouts and leaves, which can cause a delay in growth or the plant’s death. Tuscany is notable for its significant population of wild boar, which cause substantial damage to vineyards and cereal crops, costing farmers millions annually. In Tuscany, given the highly cultivated landscape of olive trees, damage has also been recorded in these plants. Balancing human and wildlife needs is crucial for minimizing damage and ensuring coexistence. (2) Methods: This study tested innovative electronic playback devices using long-range radio technology (LoRa) to deter wild ungulates and prevent crop damage. These devices use sounds and lights to induce wild animals to be afraid and thus run away from the cultivated plot to be protected. The experiment was conducted on a farm in Chianti, Tuscany, involving four plots of land planted with olive trees: in two test areas, four playback devices and four camera traps were installed, and in the two control areas, only camera traps were installed. Playback devices aimed to deter wild ungulates and camera traps aimed to test their effectiveness. Data from the camera traps were analyzed statistically and behaviorally. (3) Results: Playback devices significantly reduced wild animal activity in the equipped areas. Statistical analysis revealed that the use of acoustic–luminous deterrent devices (PDs) significantly reduced wildlife visits to the olive groves. (4) Conclusion: The study’s findings, supported by heatmaps and frequency analyses, provide insights into wildlife activity patterns and guide the development of targeted, effective wildlife management strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-7402/7/1/20human–wildlife conflictdamage preventionplayback deviceswildlife behavior response |
| spellingShingle | Leonardo Conti Giulia Angeloni Piernicola Masella Caterina Sottili Ferdinando Corti Stefano Camiciottoli Veronica Racanelli Agnese Spadi Francesco Garbati Pegna Alessandro Parenti Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) AgriEngineering human–wildlife conflict damage prevention playback devices wildlife behavior response |
| title | Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) |
| title_full | Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) |
| title_short | Electronic Playback Devices to Reduce Ungulates’ Attendance in an Olive Grove Farm in the Province of Florence (Italy) |
| title_sort | electronic playback devices to reduce ungulates attendance in an olive grove farm in the province of florence italy |
| topic | human–wildlife conflict damage prevention playback devices wildlife behavior response |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-7402/7/1/20 |
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